Cincinnati police showcased two of the new vehicles acquired by the department--the Ford Police Utility Vehicle (PUV) and the Ford Interceptor sedan--Thursday afternoon outside City Hall.

The PUV is based on the Ford Explorer and the sedan is based on the Taurus. Of course, both vehicles have been upgraded for police use with accessories such as special seating, bars on the rear windows, light bars on the roof, computers and communication equipment.

The Cincinnati Police Department has one PUV and plans to buy more. CPD has about 10 of the sedans, according to CPD Fleet Manager Jason Hussel. (He says the cost is about $30,000 a car, with the PUV costing slightly more.)

The big advantage over the traditional police cruiser-- the old rear-wheel-drive Ford Crown Victoria the city has in its fleet-- is the new vehicles are all-wheel drive, which, considering last winter, seems like a smart move.